About this item
Highlights
- FINALIST FOR THE 2018 MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARDAn addictive novel of psychological suspense from the award-winning author of Night Night, Sleep Tight, about three generations of women haunted by a little girl's disappearance, and the porcelain doll that may hold the key to the truth . . .Seven-year-old Lissie Woodham and her four-year-old sister Janey were playing with their porcelain dolls in the front yard when an adorable puppy scampered by.
- Author(s): Hallie Ephron
- 320 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Thrillers
Description
About the Book
Appendix includes Meet Hallie Ephron -- The inspiration for You'll Never Know, Dear -- Reading group guide -- Have you read? -- An excerpt from Never Tell a Lie.Book Synopsis
FINALIST FOR THE 2018 MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
An addictive novel of psychological suspense from the award-winning author of Night Night, Sleep Tight, about three generations of women haunted by a little girl's disappearance, and the porcelain doll that may hold the key to the truth . . .
Seven-year-old Lissie Woodham and her four-year-old sister Janey were playing with their porcelain dolls in the front yard when an adorable puppy scampered by. Eager to pet the pretty dog, Lissie chased after the pup as it ran down the street. When she returned to the yard, Janey's precious doll was gone . . . and so was Janey.
Forty years after Janey went missing, Lis--now a mother with a college-age daughter of her own--still blames herself for what happened. Every year on the anniversary of her sister's disappearance, their mother, Miss Sorrel, places a classified ad in the local paper with a picture of the toy Janey had with her that day--a one-of-a-kind porcelain doll--offering a generous cash reward for its return. For years, there's been no response. But this year, the doll came home.
It is the first clue in a decades-old mystery that is about to turn into something far more sinister--endangering Lis and the lives of her mother and daughter as well. Someone knows the truth about what happened all those years ago, and is desperate to keep it hidden.
From the Back Cover
Lissie Woodham was only seven years old when her little sister Janey disappeared. They had been in the front yard playing with their dolls, custom
creations made for them by their mother. Lissie wandered off for a moment. When she returned to the yard, Janey was gone, and so was her doll.
Now an adult with a college-aged daughter of her own, Lis has never stopped blaming herself for what happened. But four decades after Janey went missing, Lis's hopes--and fears--are realized: Janey's porcelain doll returns home.
Review Quotes
"The story line in "You'll Never Know, Dear" unspools with a strong psychological component and a sense of real people involved in relatable situations....An accessible, easy read that deftly integrates the mystery genre with women's fiction, it's made compelling by the depth and resonance of the relationships." -- Nickolas Butler, internationally bestselling author of Shotgun Lovesongs and The Hearts of Men
"The story zigs and then zags, leading the reader to be convinced of someone's innocence, duplicity or guilt and then forced to re-evaluate...After reading "You'll Never Know, Dear," I tracked down 2015's "Night Night, Sleep Tight"....and plan to dive into her other books." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"[A] character-driven page-turner...[an] engaging portrait of three generations of bickering, bull-headed, but loving women challenged to become their bravest and best selves." -- Publishers Weekly
"Hallie Ephron is the queen of secrets--and the star of suburban noir." -- Hank Phillippi Ryan, award-winning author of Say No More
Praise for Hallie Ephron: "Ephron's novels are gripping because her characters are just real and nuanced enough to identify with. Ultimately, it's compassion that makes us stay up late reading, and, nose in book, miss our subway stop the next morning." -- Boston Globe
"Ephron understands that the fears we inflict upon ourselves can be more crippling than a man with a gun." -- Mystery Scene
"Would have been a great vehicle for Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, including all the slightly creepy dolls." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Strong characters and vivid sense of place." -- Booklist
"I LOVED this book! Great characters, great sense of place, great suspense. And the doll-making background was fascinating." -- Deborah Crombie, New York Times best selling author of Garden of Lamentations
"A poignant portrayal of how tragedies often have a trickle-down effect...Though Ephron's work is often classified as women's fiction, it should appeal to anybody who enjoys intelligent, stylistic suspense. After all, questions of family, fidelity, and forgiveness are universal." -- CriminalElement.com